Posted on 12/11/2005 12:57:12 PM PST by strategofr
The M-1 tank has finally, oficially, gotten its M1028 "shotgun shell" for its 120mm gun. This is for use against hostile infantry. The XM1028 shell holds 1100 10mm tungsten balls that are propelled out of the gun barrel and begin to disperse. The tungsten projectiles are lethal at up to 700 meters. The official requirement of the XM1028 is to kill or disable more than 50 percent of a 10 man squad with 1 shot and do the same to a 30 man platoon with 2 shots.
Production of the shell began in 2002, with plans for up to 30,000 shells (costing over $3,000 each) being produced. After initial production of some 2,000 shells, another 3,000 were to be built in 2004 and 5,000 in the year after that. But numerous delays over effectiveness, safety and reliability issues, delayed official introduction until now.
Only small numbers of M1028 shells were shipped to Iraq since the round first became available in 2003. In the meantime, army and marine tank crews were getting more and more vocal in their displeasure at the leisurely pace of M1028 development. In terms of technology, there’s nothing particularly special about it. Similar shells have been in service for decades. In Iraq, M-1 tank crews want a “shotgun” type shell to deal with groups of hostile Iraqis, especially at night when the Iraqis still don't realize that the thermal sight on the M-1 makes people clearly visible at night to the gunner, especially if they are carrying AK-47s or RPG launchers.
The Iraqis still tend to bunch up, which allows one XM1028 round to wipe out entire teams of hostile fighters. The M-1 using the XM1028 shell is the world's largest shotgun, and makes tanks much more effective in urban combat. The 10mm projectiles are also effective against vehicles and lightly built structures. Israel has been using a similar round for years, making American tank crews even more impatient about when they would get an American made version.
Ouch!
Probably better than using HE to eliminate the enemy patrol.
[cue Junior Walker and the All-Stars]
"SHOTGUN!!!! Shoot 'em 'fore they run, now..."
W is really, really dense - kinda like 'Rats.
The DemocRATS and their "human rights" pals aren't going to be happy about this. Oh well. They'll get over it.
I don't see any reason for a development delay at all. Nearly every artillery piece deployed at or near the front lines has had a case-shot or grape-shot round for centuries.
Why tungsten shot? What's wrong with lead or iron shot? I don't see that tungsten would make such a round any more effective, just much more expensive.
So why tungsten? Why not just lead, or iron? And why three grand each? How does that compare to a standard HE round?
Anybody?
Well, it is a smooth bore. It's about time.
L
Big boost to battlefield operations [tank-based "shotgun" round!]
Tungsten was chosen for the balls because it's ballistic and penetration physics are better than lead or steel.
" So why tungsten? Why not just lead, or iron? And why three grand each? How does that compare to a standard HE round?"
I gotta wonder that myself. It's not like standard shotgun shells, which switched from lead to steel due to concerns over lead poisoning in waterfowl.
Tim
Napoleon dispersed the mob with what he called “a whiff of grapeshot”—which killed about 100 insurgents
Great for duck hunting too!
Yeah, tungsten will penetrate armor. It has excellent ballistic properties.
It does cost a heck of a lot though :-(
And it is difficult to fabricate. :-(
I do know where there are some un-used scheelite and wolframite deposits though :-) Maybe I ought to go back into the mining business.
PING
I wonder how much heat is generated when one of those shells is fired? Tungsten has the highest melting point of all the metals and maybe 10mm-sized lead and iron pellets would melt. Just guessin'.
Sweet!
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